The first hill starts a little before a mile and goes just past the 2 mile mark. Not real steep but a steady climb of about 200 feet total. There are a couple small dips at the beginning and it's slightly different between the left-hand set of lanes and the right. This is definitely a place to curb your enthusiasm for the beginning of the race. You can use up a lot of energy too early in the race. There's a good downhill from just past 2 to about 3, then an on-ramp uphill approaching the Key Bridge just past 4 miles. The second hill of note comes a little past 6.5 miles. You run along the river, make a u-turn and go right up the hill: steeper but shorter, maybe 1/2 mile long, gradually leveling out, then a pretty nasty (short and steep) downhill before heading back to Georgetown (M Strret). There's a bit of a downhill leaving Georgetown, just past 9 miles. Then flat until you hit "the bridge" (14th St. Bridge) around 20 miles. This is the usual up-slope you find approaching any large bridge. Then flat once again, until you hit that last "little" hill at 26 miles, taking you up to the finish line. It's really not a big hill, it just happens at a bad time.

Actually, this will be my 18th running of MCM since 1993. I missed one year when my wife was very ill and started but dnf'ed once due to injury. And I'm from Philly.

Len, has hit this right on the money!!!!! Watch the 1st 5K as Len stated, and watch those two downhill's they tend to hurt my legs! Enjoy the madness. If you are traveling with family members plan to have them meet you at the end at the family link up spot, it's crazy at the end so you want a spot to meet for sure.

I currently live and work in Massachusetts -- but I have lived all over. The majority of time would be in Connecticut. I have family on the Island but we don't talk about them too much as they are Islander fans.

This year will be my 7th MCM. My first was in 1990. This will be my 2nd time on the current course. The old course used to have the first few miles circiling the Pentagon, which was nice an flat. I do not know when the change happened but I suspect the new security needed caused by the events of Sept 11, 2001 has a lot to do with the current course configuration.

Len has the course description down. Those early hills are really nothing. If you're patient and not in a hurry to bob-&-weave your way through the crowd of runners during this early part of the race you'll be up and over that first hill before you know just by the momentum of the pack.

Most of the Pentagon area course changes happened before 9/11. In fact the 2001 MCM passed within a couple hundred yards of the Pentagon damage. (Yes, I was there.) There's a picture of this on the MCM Facebook page. The section that went behind the Capitol building was removed due to 9/11. Even emergency vehicles were prohibited from using that street. A lot of the course changes have been due to road construction, removing one section, Rock Creek Parkway for example, and adding others, such as the current miles 5 - 9.

Did you notice the footprints at the top of the steps? Right in the middle of the top step, set back a little, is a pair of foot/shoe prints cast in bronze and set into the stone. I guess that's where he stood to do the dance.

By the way, I have never seen so many weapons out in the open, seemingly locked and loaded, as I did the day of that marathon, since I was in the Army. Humvees everywhere, machine guns mounted, multiple helicopters overhead the entire time. It was inspiring, and maybe a touch nerve-racking to think they might become necessary. It was a great day though, very quiet going past the damage, but being cheered by the construction workers.

I did see Rocky's shoes impanted in the cement. The tour guide that we went on said that Stallone did the run but a stunt double

actually ran up the steps. Is that unbelievable or what??

NYC was the same way after 9/11/01. I was working in the South Bronx when the planes hit. I lost a friend named PO Walter Weaver who I used to work with in the 47 Pct. he was in Emergency Service when he was killed in the North Tower.

It was so surreal that the only thing that mademe realize what was happening that morning was seeing two combat aircraft flying low over the building tops after the attacks. Then two Blackhawk helicopters lande don Randalls Island and a team of National Guardsmen jumped off. Then we knew that we were really under attack.

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